ASSIGNMENT: LOVE YOU

The sun was high, the day bright, and the air cool as we walked hand-in-hand to the temple. For the first time in a long while, I had felt a strange sense of calm. Kruti was by my side, and despite all our bickering and silly arguments, there was a certain peacefulness in the air.

   We had been planning this trip for days now. A simple outing, just the two of us, away from the noise of the world. It wasn't much, but for some reason, I thought today might be different. Today, we were going to be calm.

   We weren't.

   We walked through the gates of the temple, the scent of incense and flowers filling the air. The peaceful atmosphere should have put us both at ease. But of course, Kruti's sharp wit couldn't let the day stay quiet for long.

   As we reached the entrance of the temple, she turned to me with that look in her eyes—the one that meant she was about to poke at me, just for the fun of it.

   "Dev, do you think I'm just supposed to trust you with all your professor work, and the whole 'grumpy' routine? Come on, you can't possibly think that's going to be okay forever," she said, her voice light, but the challenge behind it unmistakable.

   I raised an eyebrow, giving her a look that made it clear I wasn't about to engage in her usual teasing. "What are you trying to say, Kruti?"

   She crossed her arms, smirking. "I'm saying you should stop being so stiff. You have to let loose sometimes."

   I felt my patience beginning to fray. It was always the same thing.

   "I do let loose, Kruti," I replied, my voice tight. "But I can't just be some... I don't know, carefree students like you."

   She scoffed. "Well, you're not just a professor. You're also my husband."

   Her words caught me off guard. Not that it mattered to anyone else.

   "Don't be so dramatic," I said, rubbing my temple. "You know I have to balance both."

   "You've been working your entire life!" she shot back, her voice now louder. "And then you come here, and act like the whole world is going to collapse if you just relax for a minute. It's annoying."

   I narrowed my eyes. This was where it all went wrong.

   "Fine, if it's so annoying," I said, my tone sharper now, "why don't you just kick me out of the house? I'm sure you'll be happier without me around."

   I expected her to laugh it off, to roll her eyes and brush it away. Instead, she looked at me with a strange seriousness in her eyes.

   "You know what, Dev? Maybe I will."

   The words hit me like a ton of bricks.

   "Maybe you will?" I repeated, my voice cracking a little, more surprised than I would have liked to admit.

   "Yeah, I think I will," she said defiantly, her arms crossed over her chest. "If you're going to keep being so impossible, you can figure it out on your own."

   I stared at her for a moment, unable to comprehend what had just happened. She was serious.

   Before I could say anything else, she turned and started walking ahead, leaving me standing there, feeling the sting of her words settle into my chest.

   I was angry.

   And yet, despite the anger, there was this small, tight knot in my stomach. I wasn't angry with her. I was angry at myself. Angry that I had let her think I was only capable of being grumpy.